Grade 1 Curriculum
Literacy Essentials
"Literacy is the door to knowledge, essential to individual self-esteem and empowerment." — Irina Bokova
Provincial Curriculum Documents
Curriculum Support Documents
Assessment Documents
Assessment Policy (2022)
Assessment, Instruction, and Feedback for Learning (Nov. 2020)
Professional Judgment and Evidence of Learning (Nov. 2020)
Assessing Literacy P-3 (Aug. 2020)
Developmental Continuums
Regionally Developed Documents
Reading Resources
SSRCE Reading Guidelines English (2023)
This document provides teachers with information to support reading instruction in P-6. Guidelines for comprehension, fluency, and reading levels by grade are outlined.
Text Levels and Reading Behaviours to Teach (2023)
This document provides information about what text looks like at each level and the reading behaviours to teach at each level.
SSRCE Suggested Phonics Scope and Sequence (2023)
This document was created by cross-referencing the NS Curriculum and UFLI Scope and Sequence. Teachers engaged in daily lessons with UFLI can use the UFLI Scope and Sequence.
Writing Resources
SSRCE Writing Exemplars P-6 (2023)
This document provides teachers with writing samples that meet expectations for each grade level. P-3 exemplars provide examples of writing at a beginning, approaching, meeting, and well-developed level across three genres.
Writing Traits P-12 (2023)
This document maps the expected writing traits across the grade levels based on the NS Curriculum.
Other Resources
UDL Tier 1 Checklist for Teachers
This checklist is designed to support teachers and instructional leaders as they enhance their Tier 1 practices.
Literacy Spot Light
The Six Pillars of Effective Reading Instruction
This video reviews the document and speaks to the contents. The document will be in full implementation in September 2023. This video is a support to help prepare for this implementation. This is relevant to all elementary teachers, as the instructional focus P-2 will impact teaching beyond these grades.
Download the PDF of the Six Pillars of Effective Reading Instruction
Classroom Resources provided by SSRCE
PM Writing Big Book Writing Exemplars (Distributed 2021 - 2022 School Year)
Teacher's Guide (Distributed 2021 - 2022 School Year)
Words That Sing Poetry Charts (Distributed 2022 - 2023 School Year)
Provincial Literacy Assessment
Nova Scotia Assessment: Literacy in Grade 3: Lessons Learned
You will need to login using your GNSPES credentials to access this document.
Provincial Assessment Details
There is no Nova Scotia Literacy Assessment in grade 1. Students in Nova Scotia write Nova Scotia Assessments in grades 3, 6, and 8 and a provincial English exam in grade 10. For more information about provincial assessments and exams go to https://plans.ednet.ns.ca/.
Lessons Learned: For Teachers
This document compiles the data from past Literacy in Grade 3 (L3) assessments in easy-to-read language to help inform literacy instruction. We really think that this is a valuable document for all P-6 teachers; we have used it regularly in unit and lesson planning.
"The Nova Scotia Assessment: Literacy in Grade 3 generates information that is useful in guiding classroom-based instruction and assessment in reading and writing. This document provides an overview of the reading and writing tasks included in the assessment, results from the 2018-2019 Literacy in Grade 3 assessment, and a series of lessons learned for reading and writing. Suggested next steps for classroom instruction and assessment in the form of mini lessons are included for each lesson learned." (pg. 1)
What's included in the document?
3 Reading Lessons with in-depth suggestions for teaching and assessment
4 Writing Lessons with in-depth suggestions for teaching and assessment
21 pages of Appendices that can be used by teachers to support teaching and learning